Rail-joint.



A. C. Q S. H. ECKEL.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLlcATloN FILED MAR.28.1912.

Patented Aug. 29, 1916.

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NHMMHMHMMMHMMMMWMNNU HUNNMIIMHHUH rrn @FASE ll ARTHUR C. ECKEL .AND SAMUEL R. ECKEL OF ALTOONA, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug'. 29', 191.6.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that we, ARTHUR C. ECKEL and SAMUEL R. ECKEL, citizens of the United States, residing at Altoona, in the county of Blair and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Tmprovements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in rail joints, and has for its object the provision of new and novel means whereby a rail joint is produced wherein the use of bolts, nuts and keys are entirely eliminated.

Another object of this invention is to provide a rail joint which will be extremely simple and eective, and at the same time more durable than the ordinary joint as found in use on railroads of to-day.

A further object of this invention is to provide improved means for taking up any wear that may take place in the joint due to friction of the parts against one another in service conditions.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an improved rail clamping means, whereby the joint has the same moment of resistance as the rail, thus preventing in a very practical way any tendency of the rail ends to deflect under the heaviest wheel loads.

With these and many other objects in view, which will more readily appear, as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists of the novel construction7 combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter fully pointed out, illustrated and claimed.

The essential features of the present invention, involved in carrying out the above named objects, are quite susceptible of different structural modifications without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, but a preferred and practical embodiment thereof is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l, is a plan view of our improved rail joint showing the various parts assembled. Fig. 2, is a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3, is an end view of the parts shown in Fig. 2, and clearly shows the clamping wedge in position. Fig. l, is

a view similar to Fig. 3, and shows the small end of the rail clamp. Fig. 5, is a plan of the clamping wedge. Fig. 6, is an end view of the rail clamping wedge. Fig. 7 is a detail cross sectional view of a portion of the combined rail chair and support to more r clearly expose the holding studs for engaging the openings in the rail webs.

Like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures ofthe drawings.

This improved rail joint, designated in its entirety by the numeral 10, primarily embodies but two elements, viz: the combined rail chair and support 11, and the clamping wedge 12.

The combined rail chair and support 11 includes a main angle bar member tting the fishing spaces of the rails at one side thereof, an integral rail-supporting base member 10 extending the full width of the rail bases, and an inturned clip flange 13 formed integrally with one edge portion of the base member opposite said angle bar member. This clip flange cooperates with the clip fiange portion of a separate wedging angle bar 12 whose upright girder 14s tapers longitudinally from end to end to provide a wedge that coperates with the inner edge portion of the'clip flange 13.

The wedging angle bar 12, in addition to forming a positive clamp for the rail in its coperation with the combined rail chair and support, also acts as an auxiliary rail head support, the top edge 15 of the girder 14 being adapted to fit snugly under the rail head 16, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4l of the drawings.

The angle bar 12 is provided with a plurality of recesses 17 in the depending lip 18 of its foot flange, these recesses coperating with the openings 19 in the clip flange of the rail support in such manner that the wedge can be readily drawn up, effectively clamping the rail after which a locking pin is placed in the opening made by the recess 17 coming in line with the holes 19.

The rail chair and support 11 is preferably provided with a plurality of stilfening webs 20, positioned in the center of the joint, so that the rail ends have a solid abutment to resist the wheel loads of modern motive power units The rail chair and support 11, is further provided with a plurality of tie spike flanges 21, each iange being provided with a recess 22 adapted to engage the rail spike, thus preventing the joint from creeping.

For the purpose of keeping the rails from creeping, a plurality of inwardly projecting studs, 23, designed to engage openings 24 in the rail, are provided as an integral part of the girder 25 of the rail chair support 11.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that the rails 26 are effectively held against longitudinal movement by the projections 23, engaging the openings 24 in the rail web 27.

The wedging angle bar 12 is held in position by the pins passing through the holes 19 in the support, while the support itself is securely spiked to the ties; this combination forming a rigid and effective joint.

Attention has already been drawn to the fact that the upright girder 14 of the wedging angle bar 12 is tapered longitudinally from end to end to provide a wedge that cooperates with the inner edge portion of the clip flange 13. In addition to this feature, it will be observed by reference to Figs. 3 and 'i 4 of the drawings that the foot flange of the said angle bar 12, as well as the depending lip 18 thereof, are likewise tapered in a longitudinal direction with the result of providing what may be termed a three point wedge. The effect of this construction is that the wedging angle bar 12 serves to take up the wear and looseness not only in a lateral direction, but also vertically, thereby enabling the joint to be made perfectly tight at all times and under all conditions.

From the foregoing it is thought that the various advantages of the herein described joint will be readily apparent, and

formed at one edge with an inturned clip flange having a longitudinally tapered edge portion, said rail chair also having spaced apart lock receiving openings through the clip flange and base member, and a separate angle bar having a longitudinally tapered girder portion engaging the longitudinally tapered edge of the clip iiange and adapted to flushly seat in the fishing space of the rails, said girder having a. foot Harige being formed with a depending lip for engaging the base lianges of the rails, said foot liange and its lip lying within and engaging the clip flange portion of the chair and having lock receiving notches spaced closer together than the locking openings in the rail chair.

In testimony whereof we aliiX our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR C. ECKEL. SAMUEL R. ECKEL. Witnesses:

ALEX Wisin, E. NicoDnMUs.

Copies of this patent may 'be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

